Brothers in Arms
by VappyChan
Summary: A Heero/Duo "Dire Straits" song-fic - In a time after war, not all is peaceful when a girl comes between friends. **Please R&R - This is my first GW fic.


Brothers in Arms  
  
We're fools to make war...  
  
  
  
  
  
These mist covered mountains  
  
Are a home now for me,  
  
But my home is the lowlands  
  
And always will be.  
  
Some day you'll return to  
  
Your valleys and your farms,  
  
And you'll no longer burn  
  
To be brothers in arms.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
  
  
Heero paused to look at himself in the mirror for what seemed like the hundredth time to his long-haired friend. "All right, why are you all dressed up?" Duo asked with faint interest in his voice.  
  
"Out," his Japanese friend replied.  
  
"I didn't ask where you were going, Hee-chan," Duo laughed, trying to put a lighter mood into their conversation. Things had never been exactly warm between the two, but he liked to consider himself a friend to the outwardly emotionless pilot. "Would you please pay attention? Just occasionally? I asked, 'Why are you all dressed up?'" he frowned slightly.  
  
"Oh. I'm, uh, meeting some friends..." Heero shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, I see how you're gonna be," the American sighed with mock disappointment, although he had to try to keep the suspicious tone out of his voice. Heero, the personification of anti-social, was going out with friends? And why wasn't he dealing Duo grief for calling him by that oh-so- hated nickname? "Ah, there's probably a girl involved and you don't feel like talking about it," the long-haired Gundam pilot joked.  
  
"Hn," was Heero's only response. This took Duo aback quite a bit, as he had never considered his friend to be the romantic type.  
  
"Ah hah. Well, have fun," his voice rose a bit unintentionally at the end, making it sound like a question rather than a statement.  
  
"Hn," was the only reply he got.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Welcome home," Duo said automatically as the door opened, not taking his eyes from his video game.  
  
"Hello-ello!" came an enthusiastic response.  
  
"...Heero?" he looked up, startled, and saw his friend stroll in. Wait, stroll in? He even seemed to own a slight bounce to his step.  
  
"Yeah, just me!" Heero answered, and Duo noticed that he had an odd smile on his face.  
  
"Someone had a good time," the Deathscythe pilot joked, expecting a sarcastic reply or a yeah-right look. Instead, all he received in reply was a bigger grin, as if keeping information from him.  
  
"Okay, stop right there!" he grabbed Heero's shoulder as he started to walk off towards his room. "Tell me what happened! You met a girl, didn't you?" he gave his friend a "come on, you can tell me!" grin. "Confess! What are you up to?"  
  
"Sore wa himitsu desu," Heero's grin only widened as he flung a few things onto the table and continued on to his room.  
  
"I wish you would stop speaking different languages, stupid foreign boy!" Duo called loudly after his friend.  
  
"You come over here and repeat that, and I'll show you 'stupid foreign boy', you ignorant American-" Heero then fired off a rapid string of Japanese words, presumably insults. Duo understood only the frequently repeated "baka" and a few variations on it, the meaning of which he was fairly certain of since his friend always called him that whenever he did or said something stupid. Heero then stepped inside his room and shut the door, satisfied.  
  
"Damn," the purple-eyed pilot mused as he sat down at the kitchen table, grabbing out a bag of jelly beans and slowly eating one after another, staring pensively ahead. He would get to the bottom of this! His eyes drifted over to Heero's wallet, which had a piece of paper barely sticking out of one of the folds.  
  
Feeling slightly guilty already, he drew the piece of paper out and examined the writing on it. "Bingo," he smirked, pleased with himself. A single phone number was written in what was clearly the typical perfect female penmanship. He tucked the number back into the wallet and headed off to bed. He would have plenty to tease Heero about in the morning!  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Heero. Heero. Heero," Duo repeated monotonously, staring across the breakfast table at his friend, who was staring off into space. He started flicking pieces of cereal at his head after a while, in sync with the chanting.  
  
"Hn? What?" the Wing Zero pilot snapped out of it. "What do you want, Duo?" he asked gruffly.  
  
"Ah, good. You're back to normal. And how is my wittle Romeo doing this morning?" he clasped his hands mockingly by his cheek, a cheesy grin on his face.  
  
"I- hey, knock it off!" Heero frowned.  
  
"Come on, who's this mystery girl?" Duo begged, attempting puppy-dog eyes but hardly succeeding through his endeavors to hide his laughter at his friend's reddening face. "We've been through numerous battles in space together, countless times we thought we were gonna die, and you can't even tell me you've got a girlfriend?"  
  
"There's nothing going on… yet," the blue-eyed pilot sighed. "Must you be so nosy all the time?"  
  
"Of course," he grinned. "What are friends for?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"Okay, she'll be here any second," Heero told Duo as he rushed past, frantically pulling a comb through his hair on his way to the mirror again. "Ah, oh my Kami, my shoes!" he looked down at his old sneakers.  
  
"Chill out, man!" his American friend laughed. "It's not even an official date or anything, and it's not like you're proposing." At that moment there was a knock on the door and Heero froze in his tracks, paralyzed with fear. "Calm down. You won't even be alone."  
  
"Be a pal and keep her busy for a few minutes until I'm ready," Heero didn't seem to notice his friend's advice and gave Duo a grateful glance as he dashed off to his room.  
  
"Ahh… sure," his friend pulled open the door halfway. "Hel- " he stopped short, not expecting what stood before him – a surprisingly pretty girl about a half head shorter than himself with short brown hair and intense eyes that left him momentarily stunned. "-lo," he finished, opening the door further so she could step in.  
  
"Thank you!" she nodded graciously, taking a moment to look around the apartment. "So, you must be Duo, then?" she narrowed her eyes at him thoughtfully.  
  
"Yeah, nice to meet you… Daray?" he smiled when she nodded affirmation. "Sorry, Heero's running a bit late. Care to sit down?" the violet-eyed pilot motioned to the living room area. As she sat down, he asked, "So, what do you think of Heero?" and made a good effort to hide his grin. Heero may not have had much experience, but he at least had good taste in aesthetics.  
  
"Oh, he's a great guy! He's pretty funny, in a quiet sort of way, you know?" she shrugged. "He seems a bit reserved, but it's a nice change from the wackos of normal life."  
  
"I couldn't agree more," Duo laughed.  
  
"I've heard a lot about you from him, you know," she let the sentence hang.  
  
"Oh, really? All of it's good, I'm sure," he predictably rose to the bait.  
  
"Some," the brunette agreed with a laugh. "He says you joke around too much."  
  
"There's no such thing," Duo scoffed, putting on an exaggerated air of indignation.  
  
"That's what I told him," Daray winked. "You should come with us! We're all just going to see a movie, perhaps, or maybe do something else…"  
  
"Nah, thanks for the offer, though," he shook his head with a smile as his friend walked out of his room, leaving a swirling trail of cologne behind him. "Maybe some other time!" he promised, temporarily slowing his breathing so as not to suffocate – he would have to give Heero a talk after he got home.  
  
"I'll hold you to that," she nodded over her shoulder with a grin.  
  
"Have fun!" Duo waved as the two walked out the door.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"How was your day?" Heero asked with a raised eyebrow as Duo came frolicking through the door.  
  
"Mostly the usual," he replied with a complacent grin on his face. "'Cept today, some guy came in looking for a job, and the stupid assistant manager almost hired him to take my place on account of he's older. My boss set him straight real quick," he added smugly. "He should know there's no better mechanic in the world than a Gundam pilot, eh?"  
  
"Yeah, no kidding," Heero agreed sullenly. "Look, I'm sorry I haven't gotten a job yet… I know I owe you my part of the rent for way back, it's just…"  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. No problem," Duo cut in. "Maybe you could hack into the bank's system and wire your account some money?" he joked. He received only an unamused look in response.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Through these fields of destruction,  
  
Baptism of fire,  
  
I've watched all your suffering  
  
As the battles raged higher.  
  
And though they did hurt me so bad  
  
In the fear and alarm,  
  
You did not desert me,  
  
My brother in arms.  
  
  
  
"I just don't know what to do," Heero held his head in his hands, staring forlornly down at the floor. "She's… I think I… Argh, I don't know…" he trailed off, frustrated at his frustration.  
  
"Why don't you just tell her?" Duo folded his arms across his chest.  
  
"I can't… I don't know what to say, how to say it… What if she doesn't feel the same way? I can't risk losing her as a friend… She means too much…" the blue-eyed teen balled his hands into fists.  
  
"Hah! The 'Perfect Soldier' himself, finally at a loss? Who would've thought?" Duo laughed affably.  
  
"Damn it, Maxwell! Why is everything a joke to you?" the Wing Zero pilot looked up briefly to scowl at him. This was obviously the wrong time to kid around.  
  
"I laugh so I don't cry," his friend admitted after a pause, suddenly serious. "We've done terrible things, you and I… All of us, really."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Heero's eyes were once again on the floor. "But I was taught to fight, trained to win, from day one… I didn't know anything else. And war is over now. And she's just so… perfect…" he sighed deeply.  
  
"Heero Yuy! I never expected to see you like this. She must know some sort of karate – y'know, kung fu or whatever else you Japanese people do – to impress you! Lemme guess – she's a cop?" Duo grinned widely.  
  
"Nah, not at all," Heero tactfully decided not to bring up the fact that kung fu was Chinese. "I want to put that all behind me. I'm afraid… that if I keep the Perfect Soldier in front… maybe I'll never get a chance to really be human. Maybe I'll lose my humanity forever."  
  
Duo was once again silent for a while as he chewed on that one. "I don't think you'll ever lose that. I will always remember that even in the heat of battle, even after promising her death so many times, you still wouldn't kill her. That shows true compassion," he said quietly. No name needed speaking, which was just as well since he felt particularly guilty about mentioning her name so soon after her untimely death. Heero was still inwardly shaken by it, even though almost half a year had passed since her assassination. To add insult to injury, it had soon been discovered that the assassin was a disillusioned teenager even younger than himself.  
  
"Maybe you're right. All I know is that 'Ray… makes me feel human. When I'm around her I no longer feel like Heero Yuy, the Perfect Soldier, Wing Zero's pilot… I'm just Heero. Normal Heero, Heero with human heart and human spirit," he closed his eyes and took deep, slow breaths. "So many times have I wished for the gift of death, and now I finally want to live."  
  
"Heero Yuy, I officially welcome you to earth!" Duo smiled grimly, clapping Heero on the back.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
"C'mon, Maxwell. It'll just be for a little while… She insisted that I bring you this time," Heero rolled his eyes and turned the TV off.  
  
"Awww, don't I feel loved now," Duo sighed, looking up at his friend. "Yeah, okay, I'll go. But I draw the line at chick-flicks. None of that."  
  
"Hn."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
In the darkened movie theater, Daray sat somehow cross-legged in the narrow fold-down seats, Heero to one side and Duo to the other.  
  
"I give them ten seconds 'till they kiss again," she said confidentially to Duo, her eyes not leaving the screen as she lifted a couple more kernels of popcorn to her lips.  
  
"Five before those two sitting in front of us do," he replied, nudging her with his elbow and pointing at the couple that was leaning dangerously close to another saliva-swapping make-out session. She laughed quietly, nodding in agreement. Sure enough, both happened on more or less that exact schedule.  
  
"Did I call it or what?" 'Ray nudged Heero smugly.  
  
"Hn," he agreed, looking up from the bottom of his empty popcorn bag.  
  
"This movie is getting really predictable," she commented after a while.  
  
"Yeah, a bit. I'll bet that 'evil spirit' is gonna possess the nerdy guy pretty soon, too. Where's the excitement in that?" Duo sighed. "Hah, told ya," he remarked as he found his prediction to be right. They watched the rest of the movie in relative silence, and he was slightly surprised to note that Daray didn't make attempts to cling to a guy during the scary parts and didn't even make that silly little squeaking sound girls sometimes make when startled. She was so right for Heero.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Duo pushed Heero's door open with his elbow and set the glass of water down on the computer table where he was busily tapping away at his laptop.  
  
"Hey, I'm going out for a while with a friend… Wanna come?" he asked casually, taking a sip from his own glass.  
  
"Nah, I'm busy," the Wing Zero pilot replied, eyes still following the motion of the text on the screen as he typed. "Have fun."  
  
"You really should come…" Duo trailed off, but he could tell Heero wasn't fully listening anymore. "Anyways, I'll grab some dinner while I'm out, so don't worry about me."  
  
"Hn," Heero grunted, hardly blinking as his fingers struck with lightning speed at the keyboard.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
There's so many different worlds,  
  
So many different suns,  
  
And we have just one world  
  
But we live in different ones.  
  
  
  
"Thank you for everything," Daray said as she walked Duo to his apartment door.  
  
"Ah, you're welcome… You're a great person to hang out with, you know that? Heero was right," he unlocked his door and stepped inside, and to his surprise she followed him.  
  
"I enjoyed your company, too. You are a great friend, Duo Maxwell," she stated simply, looking up at him with a peculiar smile.  
  
"Yeah, same to you," he grinned, and was about to turn around when she spoke again.  
  
"And perhaps… one day we could be more than such?" she let the sentence hang tantalizingly in the air, leaning closer and wrapping him in a friendly hug. He returned the gesture, but then realization hit him.  
  
"But Heero…" Duo started, then choked off. Shouldn't he tell her? He had to…  
  
"Heero what?" her gaze locked with his, confusion evident in her expressive brown eyes.  
  
"… Nothing," he looked away, embarrassed.  
  
Daray rested her head on his chest and squeezed him tighter, then let go and stepped back. "I think… I think I love you," she admitted with a weak smile. "I've known you for so little time, just over a week, yet it seems like so much longer. You're easy to be around, too. And oddly enough, you're not a show-off or a pervert like so many of my friends." She studied his reaction, dark eyes shining bright with hope in the weak light.  
  
"I… I'm flattered… Good night, 'Ray," Duo managed one of his trademark grins after a long, uncomfortable pause, caught slightly off guard when she stood on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek.  
  
"Good night, Duo," she nodded, her blush hidden by the dim lighting. She spun around quickly and exited, closing the door quietly behind her. The Deathscythe pilot reached up to touch his cheek where the unexpected kiss had been bestowed.  
  
He felt quite weak-kneed and was making his way to the couch when the lights suddenly flicked on. "Ahh," he squinted, shielding his face from the unanticipated illumination. "Heero?" He received no answer as his friend walked slowly toward him. Duo's eyes widened as he got a good look at Heero's face and noted that his eyes were filled with silent tears. "Oh, Heero…" dread knotted up in his chest. "I…"  
  
"No need to explain," the blue-eyed pilot shook his head slowly, never breaking eye contact. "I heard everything." There was a long pause where neither of the boys moved an inch or hardly even breathed.  
  
"I… I can't… It's not…" Duo fumbled for an explanation, surveying his friend with unintentional pity.  
  
"Shut up, Maxwell," Heero moved closer, dangerously, and his violet-eyed friend could smell alcohol heavy on his breath. "I don't need sympathy. You're always so perfect, aren't you?" he rasped out, an unnatural look in his eyes that Duo had rarely seen before. "Perfect Duo, never out of work, always surrounded by his adoring fans, always gets the girl," he glowered.  
  
"Heero, it's not my fault, you should have told-" he was cut off as Heero roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.  
  
"This is the last straw," he whispered, his face not but an inch from Duo's. He suddenly pushed Duo away from him, knocking him to the ground. "Omae o koruso."  
  
"Heero…" the Deathscythe pilot breathed. He knew what those words meant, and he hastily scrambled to his feet, but Heero had already leveled his gun right at his chest. "Heero, no! Don't do this," he took in slow, hesitant breaths. "Heero, I am your friend Duo. Heero… Heero!" he repeated when he got no response, his voice rising in alarm.  
  
"Shut up," Heero's eyes for a moment blinked confusedly, as if he was disoriented. His hand shook, cold and clammy against the metal of the gun. "Omae o koruso," he said again, a violent fire blazing in his eyes.  
  
Duo noticed his hesitation and cursed to himself. The fool must have drunk himself into this sorry state…  
  
"I should have known," the Wing Zero pilot narrowed his eyes. "All this time, giving me advice, pretending to help me… and you were really just waiting to stab me in the back."  
  
"Heero, this doesn't need to b-" he was suddenly cut off by a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked up in terror at his friend, gasping for air.  
  
As soon as the trigger was pulled, Heero rocked back in alarm. "Duo?" he questioned and waited for a response, but received only a pained look from his friend. "Duo, no!" he screamed, the awful realization of what he had done finally sinking in.  
  
"Heero…" Duo managed, convulsing in pain, as he fell to the floor. "I'm okay, I'm okay…" he surrendered in the attempt to hold his head up, and it lolled to the floor.  
  
"I… I'm so sorry," Heero knelt by his friend, lifting him carefully to sit up against him and cradling his head. "No, no, I can't have done this…" he repeated over and over. "I never, never want to hurt you," his tears started anew.  
  
"I know…" the Deathscythe pilot sighed heavily, as if it were suddenly a great deal of work to breathe in. "You didn't mean to… Adieu, Hee-chan…"  
  
"Duo, don't you dare die," Heero scolded with fervor anew. "Don't, you hear me?!" he shouted.  
  
"I hear you…" Duo whispered as he exhaled. He started mumbling something, and Heero leaned his head down to listen. "And forgive us our trespass… as we forgive those… who trespass… and lead us not… into temptation, but 'liver us… from evil." A long pause followed, and Heero waited with silent horror as his friend's body went limp.  
  
"Duo… my friend…"  
  
"Father, forgive Heero… my soul brother…" Duo murmured, an odd expression of peace on his face. And with that, his eyes closed as he gave his ally a final smile. Heero had called him "friend"…  
  
  
  
Now the sun's gone to hell  
  
And the moon's riding high.  
  
Let me bid you farewell  
  
Every man has to die.  
  
But it's written in the starlight  
  
And every line on your palm,  
  
We're fools to make war  
  
On our brothers in arms.  
  
  
  
* * * 


End file.
